A 73-year-old British man died and around 30 others were injured after a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore encountered severe turbulence and had to make an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi International Airport this afternoon.
Singapore Airlines confirmed on Facebook that “there are multiple injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.” FlightRadar 24, responding to data on the incident, indicated that the turbulence likely occurred before the standard descent from 37,000 to 31,000 feet. The descent appeared to be a routine flight level change in preparation for landing.
Flight SQ321 made an emergency landing in Bangkok at 3:45 PM local time (8:45 AM GMT). Air traffic controllers at Suvarnabhumi Airport reported that the pilot requested an emergency landing. Medical teams and ambulances were on standby when the flight arrived. Most injured passengers were taken to Smitivej Hospital on Srinagarindra Road.
At a press conference, Kittipong Kittikachorn, the general manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport, confirmed that 30 passengers were injured, seven critically, and 16 had minor injuries. He noted that the severe turbulence occurred during meal service. Many passengers, though wearing seatbelts, felt a strong impact. “Some people seemed fine when de-boarding the plane but felt pain afterward,” he added.
Kittipong stated there were no Thai nationals on board and noted that this was the first emergency landing with a fatality at Suvarnabhumi Airport. He did not comment on the investigation but mentioned that he inspected the aircraft and found the interior to be in disarray. A video clip taken after the turbulence showed objects scattered across the cabin floor.
Approximately 50 Singapore Airlines staff members are working with airport authorities to assist passengers continuing their journey on the next available flight.
